The Postal Service is asking for customers’ help this winter in reducing the risk of injury to letter carriers so they can continue to provide the best possible mail service.

USPS District Manager Deborah C. Essler asks property owners to keep steps and walkways clear of snow and ice so that carriers, whose arms are grasping mail, can deliver or collect mail safely. Curbside mailboxes must have an approach that is snow and ice-free so drivers can deliver or collect mail without having to leave their vehicles or even to lean far outside their window, which is dangerous, especially in wet weather. They also need enough clearance to safely depart from those boxes.

“Letter carriers in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont drive over 53,000 square miles to bring service to their customers,” Essler said. “They are taught to slow down when driving in the winter and to reduce speeds as road conditions worsen. We urge fellow motorists to do the same.”

During the winter months, many letter carriers deliver mail at or after dusk. Rural letter carriers often drive their own personal vehicles with roof or magnetic signs identifying them as mail delivery vehicles. They make frequent stops at curbside mailboxes. The Postal Service asks customers to be extra aware of letter carriers delivering mail in their personal vehicles alongside rural roads and on foot in urban neighborhoods after the sun has set.